my philosophy on small sails are, if I drive 1000--2500 miles , and its windy enough to utilize a 3.2m sail then I want one in the van.

Because they don't get used very often sailors often don't replace them so frequently, good point, but also, being that small to me its design is very important and the mast likewise, meaning I know its windy and I want the unit to perform

OTOH A couple of you have raised some thoughts about size, and models

the first step is an accurate assessment of the Ezzy masts, then I can mix and match or go with a straight : ie 370/370_________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

Another option is to buy a 3.2, then borrow a mast or two for comparison if possible. Or maybe Chris or Blake ("Mr. Northwave") has tried an Ezzy in them. SOMEBODY must have tried other masts in Surflites, as the Surflite hasn't changed since 2001 simply because so many expert sailors demand exactly that sail.

I'd say more like fanatical. Chief sail designer and founder Blake showed up at an early spring full nuker a few years ago and felt mighty good when he saw 12-15 sailors out enjoying the spray ... every last one on his sails. Back when I was testing gear for PWR mag, we had to tell testers to put down the NWs and test something else, and to use their own sails to test boards (that was the rule). They were that well liked. We've all tried other sails ... I've tested well over a hundred makes and models and owned 12-15 brands ... yet most of us keep coming back to them. One NW fan bought several brands of quivers one year to see if he was missing anything, but came back to NW for most of his quiver. One exception is the Sailworks Hucker he kept in one size.

Would the fact that the Northwave folks do not recommend use of Ezzy masts in their sails affect your decision to buy the Northwave sails you were considering? If not, a good path might be to give your Ezzy mast a try.

To give the situation a bit more clarity, did they indicate why the Ezzy mast wouldn't be compatible? Lastly, if I was in your position, I would call Ryan Kolberg at No Limitz and ask him about the inherent performance differences between their masts and those that they make for Ezzy. Even if he can't go into any specific manufacturing and/or specification details, I think it would be safe for him the say whether there is generally a notable difference between them.

Would the fact that the Northwave folks do not recommend use of Ezzy masts in their sails affect your decision to buy the Northwave sails you were considering? If not, a good path might be to give your Ezzy mast a try.

To give the situation a bit more clarity, did they indicate why the Ezzy mast wouldn't be compatible? Lastly, if I was in your position, I would call Ryan Kolberg at No Limitz and ask him about the inherent performance differences between their masts and those that they make for Ezzy. Even if he can't go into any specific manufacturing and/or specification details, I think it would be safe for him the say whether there is generally a notable difference between them.

Yes, I see no reason to purchase a sail to use in a mast that they don't recommend. I spoke to a shop employee and his words were" we don't recommend Ezzy". Since then Chris made a return call, and in our discussion he felt the Ezzys were less than ideal.

In this case calling NoLimitz since it IS the recommended mast, to ask if Ezzy were acceptable, is like asking the Chairman of Ford how he likes Chevys. Going on the mast bend curve % that I have, I would think the Ezzy would be acceptable, but then thats on paper

I really wanted to try a Northwave , but if its not recommended on my mast, I don't need to try

NoLimitz have offered before to demo their mast in the Gorge, so that may occur yet , it not as ideal as a month stay in Hatteras_________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

I would need a bigger sail in the 7.5 -8.5 range which means NW's 511 model.
It seems like most of the NW lineup is geared toward conditions for their home turf—the Gorge and high winds. Any feedback on how the 511 sails/handles—anything from a user, would be great.

^^^^^
i have the 7.2 511, definitely my most used sail, and very happy with it. id say it has better bottom end than what you might expect, and still hangs in well at the top end too.. really cant say anything bad about it...easy to rig, feels light while sailing, easy to handle..
but, at 200lbs, for a lightwind sail, i probably should have gone with the 7.7 but that would require another mast, just for it.
as it is now, i can rig the 5.7, 6.2 and 7.2 all on the same mast, and it feels fine. i use the recommended nolimitz mast. (the 5.7 and 6.2 are zx's)
id still like to get the 7.7 if i can come up with the ca$h for it and a mast.
and, theres more options than what shows on the website, best to talk to them directly.
i found them good to deal with._________________i like longboards.

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